The real reason Donald Trump is now meddling with House committee chair positions

Dear Palmer Report readers: it's Bill Palmer. I'm as sick of Trump as you are. I'm expanding Palmer Report's operations so we can lead the fight against Trump. Click here to donate $25 or $50.

Donald Trump appeared to have a blank check with both the Republican Senate and the Republican House after he won the 2024 election. But his cabinet nominations were such a debacle that the Senate has already gotten rid of one of his nominees. And Elon Musk’s idiotic meddling in the House budget prompted dozens of House Republicans to vote against the Trump-Musk continuing resolution.

Now Trump appears to be trying to re-exert his control over the Republican House. He backed Mike Johnson to remain Speaker, and that obviously came with strings attached. Now Trump is cashing in on his investment by forcing Johnson to remove Mike Turner as House Intelligence Committee Chair.

This is being portrayed as an act of petty revenge against Turner, as Trump hates the guy. But there may be more to it. House committee chairs in large part decide what their committees are going to investigate and hold hearings on. It’s worth remembering that the last time Trump was in office, the House Intelligence Committee ended up holding an investigation into the Trump-Russia scandal, even though it was controlled by Republicans. These committees have to do something to keep up the appearance that they’re doing their jobs.

And so you have to wonder if this move on Trump’s part is an attempt at keeping the House Intelligence Committee from investigating something that Trump doesn’t want investigated. We’ll find out eventually. In the meantime it’s worth keeping in mind that this kind of move does cost Trump. House Republicans loyal to Mike Turner are upset enough about it that they’re telling the media what an awful move it is. This undermines both Trump and Mike Johnson, yet some House Republicans are upset enough not to care.

From what we’ve seen thus far, Donald Trump is going to quickly wear out his welcome with the Republican House and Senate, with moves that are both wildly overreaching and stupidly incompetent. If Trump and the Republicans are going to spend these two years arm wrestling with each other, it opens the door for the Democrats to flip the House and Senate in the midterms. Our job is to hold down the fort in the meantime.

Dear Palmer Report readers: it's Bill Palmer. I'm as sick of Trump as you are. I'm expanding Palmer Report's operations so we can lead the fight against Trump. Click here to donate $25 or $50.